Short Definition & Meaning
short
- adverb
- quickly and without warning; "he stopped suddenly"
- without possessing something at the time it is contractually sold; "he made his fortune by selling short just before the crash"
- clean across; "the car's axle snapped short"
- at some point or distance before a goal is reached; "he fell short of our expectations"
- so as to interrupt; "She took him up short before he could continue"
- at a disadvantage; "I was caught short"
- in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner; "he told me curtly to get on with it"; "he talked short with everyone"; "he said shortly that he didn't like it"
- adjective
- primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration; "a short life"; "a short flight"; "a short holiday"; "a short story"; "only a few short months"
- (primarily spatial sense) having little length or lacking in length; "short skirts"; "short hair"; "the board was a foot short"; "a short toss"
- low in stature; not tall; "he was short and stocky"; "short in stature"; "a short smokestack"; "a little man"
- not sufficient to meet a need; "an inadequate income"; "a poor salary"; "money is short"; "on short rations"; "food is in short supply"; "short on experience"
- (of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range; "a short memory"
- not holding securities or commodities that one sells in expectation of a fall in prices; "a short sale"; "short in cotton"
- of speech sounds or syllables of relatively short duration; "the English vowel sounds in `pat', `pet', `pit', `pot', putt' are short"
- less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so; "a light pound"; "a scant cup of sugar"; "regularly gives short weight"
- lacking foresight or scope; "a short view of the problem"; "shortsighted policies"; "shortsighted critics derided the plan"; "myopic thinking"
- tending to crumble or break into flakes due to a large amount of shortening; "shortbread is a short crumbly cookie"; "a short flaky pie crust"
- marked by rude or peremptory shortness; "try to cultivate a less brusque manner"; "a curt reply"; "the salesgirl was very short with him"
- noun
- the location on a baseball field where the shortstop is stationed
- accidental contact between two points in an electric circuit that have a potential difference
- the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed between second and third base
- verb
- cheat someone by not returning him enough money
- create a short circuit in
"Short" in song lyrics
See how short is used in real songs:
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"The 49 is the fort that got the suckers coming short"
The 49ers — Fort Knocks -
"Payin child support comin up short"
4 Deep — You Got Play'd -
"It's more like verbal bloodsport, dope fiends coming up short"
9th Prince f/ Islord — Lyrical Disaster
Words that rhyme with short
Usage tips for "short"
Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "short" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for short to find words that pair well.
Use "short" in a verse
Now that you know what "short" means, try using it in your own lyrics:
Generate a verse